Liège school search
Liège has French-system schools that teach some subjects in another language. The child’s age and previous immersion experience matter more than a general request for an English school.
A Liège search should distinguish the École fondamentale Lycée Léonie de Waha from the Athénée communal Léonie de Waha. They share Boulevard d’Avroy 96, but one is a primary school and the other a secondary school. Collège Saint-Louis, at rue Magis 20, is another secondary option.
Waha’s primary school describes English immersion from the third nursery year, around age five, through sixth primary. English carries activities and subject teaching, while French takes a growing role through primary. It is part of French-community education, not an English-only international primary.
Waha’s secondary school combines Freinet-inspired active learning with the ordinary French-community subject framework. It offers English, Dutch and German immersion pathways. Its immersion explanation describes pupils who began immersion in the third nursery year. A newcomer should therefore ask about recognition of prior schooling and possible later entry, not assume this is a beginner-language programme.
Saint-Louis offers English immersion alongside its French-system secondary curriculum. The school describes 12 weekly hours involving English, sciences and étude du milieu, an interdisciplinary subject. Its stated learner expectations include confidence in French and mathematics. These are suitability considerations to discuss with the school, not evidence of an unpublished entrance-score requirement.
Communal means Waha is organised by the municipality. Saint-Louis belongs to subsidised Catholic libre education: it is independently organised within the recognised system, not an international private school charging a separate international curriculum fee.
These secondary routes lead towards the French Community’s CESS, the secondary-school leaving certificate. Neither English immersion nor a multilingual timetable converts that qualification into an IB Diploma.
Primary admission and entry to first secondary are separate procedures. Attending Waha primary does not remove the need to check secondary enrolment.
The published first-secondary period for 2026–27 ran from 2 February to 6 March 2026. That priority period is over. Saint-Louis’s current notice describes registrations resuming from 20 April; it does not confirm a free place this September. Contact the relevant school for a present vacancy or transfer, and use the French Community admissions service for the next intake calendar.
Ask how many subjects are taught in the immersion language in the child’s actual year, and what support exists in French. Discuss the learning approach as well as the language: Waha’s Freinet model is a meaningful difference from simply adding English lessons.
Request the current statement of school costs, including meals, activities and trips. Then compare Boulevard d’Avroy and rue Magis from the home address, with afternoon transport included.
The Liège overview and Belgium guide broaden the search. The useful shortlist names the educational stage, the language level the child can sustain and the qualification being pursued.
Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.
Waha is a municipal secondary school combining French-language education with Freinet methods. Families choose between an active-pedagogy route and immersion in English, Dutch or German. Confirm the child’s exact route and an available place before relying on the immersion label.
LiègeCollège Saint-Louis is a subsidised Catholic secondary school for Years 1–6. It teaches mainly in French and offers a 12-hour weekly English immersion option.
LiègeLéonie de Waha’s municipal fundamental school offers English immersion from the third nursery year through sixth primary. French remains central, and the secondary school in the same building is a separate institution.
AntwerpAIS is a fee-paying English-medium day school in Ekeren, north of Antwerp. It offers IB programmes from the early years through secondary school. Admission and any learning support must be agreed individually; families should also review fees and withdrawal terms before accepting.
Start with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.
7 minA useful visit should help you picture your child’s school day and resolve the questions that matter to your family. Ask for concrete examples, then separate what you observed from what you were told.